1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is related to ice buckets. More particularly, the present disclosure is related to ice buckets having a sliding dispenser and, in some embodiments a water collection area.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many times when there is a need for a supply of ice at a location remote from a refrigerator or freezer. For example, during a party a host or hostess may set up a drink station, where cups, drinks, coasters and other items are located. Here, it is common to store ice in a bucket or bowel.
For reasons of hygiene, it is desired that a person or persons not use their hands to retrieve ice from the bucket. Thus, it is common place for the host or hostess to provide an ice retrieval device, such as a spoon or a pair of tongs or an unused cup, for use in retrieving ice from the bucket.
Unfortunately, ice retrieval devices can also present less than optimal hygienic conditions. More particularly, the use of such ice retrieval devices still requires the user to place their hands and/or the ice retrieval devices inside the bucket, potentially transferring germs into the ice and/or bucket.
Furthermore, ice buckets intended for use with such ice retrieval devices must have sufficiently large internal dimensions so as to allow the ice retrieval device to enter the storage area and remove the ice. Accordingly, prior art ice buckets require a particular large internal dimension, which limits the design choices available for such buckets.
Accordingly, it has been determined by the present disclosure that there is a continuing need for ice buckets that that overcome, alleviate, and/or mitigate one or more of the aforementioned and other deleterious effects of the prior art.